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THE LEAGUE IN OTHER STATES
FARMERS GAIN
SOME POWER_
PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION, AL
MOST CERTAIN THIS SESSION
MEANS BIG SUM SAVED
OLD GANG TRYING TO PREVENT
LEAGUE FROM DEMONSTRA
TING ITS REAL WORTH
(Minnesota Leader)
Although members of the old gang
in the Minnesota legislature are striv
ing frantically to prevent it, the Non
partisan league intends to prove, at
the coming session of the legislature,
that it is of real benefit to its mem
bers and to the common people of
Minnesota generally.
The League went before the people
of Minnesota in the last campaign
and promised that if sufficient League
legislators and state officials were
elected a sweeping set of reforms
would be put into effect.
To show that this is a promise that
will be carried out bills have been pre
pared or are being prepared for in
troduction at the 1919 legislature, as
follows:
For Tonnage Tax.
Providing a tonnage tax on iron ore.
This will add millions to the state
funds in succeeding years and will lift
a corresponding burden of taxation
from other property.
Providing for taxation of mine roy
alties that have escaped taxation al
together. The effect of this will be
the same-to reduce taxes on other
property.
Classifying property so that farm
improvements, land' used to raise food
for the nation, tools and machinery
used by the farmer and city worker
to earn their daily bread, and per
sonal property generally will not bear
its present unjust share of taxation.
Providing state hail insurance for
crops at a much lower rate than that
provided by private companies.
Providing a workable initiative for
referendum amendment to the consti
tution, so that the people of the state
may make their own laws when the
legislature refuses to act.
The League legislators will, of
course work with ilegislators elected
by organized labor to pass laws in
tended to help workingmen of the cit
ies. The League legislators will work
with progressives generally for the
good of the state and all its citi
zens.
The Minnesota Leader, in later is
sues, will print more about these
measures.
The old gang of the Minnesota
legislature, such survivors as escaped
defeat at the last election, are trying
desperately to prevent the League
from carrying its program into effect.
They fear a total defeat in 1920 if the
people are given a chance to see the
result of electing League farmers to
the legislature.
That is the explanation of the fran
tic efforts of the old timers to organ
ize the senate and house against the
farmers, efforts that are being ap
plauded by the kept press of the Twin
Cities.
MORE ORGANIllATION'
ELECTION'S LESSON
UNION NEWS POINTS TO NORTH
DAKOTA LEAGUE MEM
BERSHIP.
Why the Nonpartisan league farm
ers won signal victories in some coun
ties, while they fell down in others,
is explained clearly by the Union
News, the farmer-owned newspaper
published in Mankato.
"It was lack of organization," the
News says, and then goes on to say:
"This statement may come as a
surprise to many. You thought you
had an organization. But you were
mistaken. You had only the begin
ning of one.
"There are more than 400,000 votes
in Minnesota. The farmers' organi
zation numbers in the neighborhood
of 40,000. In North Dakota there are
in the neighborhood of 100,000 votes.
The farmers' organization numbers
something like 40,000. Look at the
results in North Dakota-clear over
the top with every man but one. Can
we expect anything different in Min
nesota ?
"Organization is the secret of the
whole thing. And you have two years
now in which to do the job up right.
The time to start in was the day
after election."
That the organized farmers of Min
nesota, working in co-operation with
organized labor, will clean up in the
1920 campaign can not be doubted. It
took the North Dakota Leaguers four
years to obtain emancipation. In
Minnesota, the League has been on
the job only two years. It stands
to reason that a four-year old will
pull a bigger load than a two-year
old colt.
At that, the Minnesota colt is a
hefty animal, as the returns well
show.
To those who look on the world from
that lofty position where city palaces,
country summer mansions, a retinue
of servants in livery, and monkey din
ners are the order of the day, farm
er-labor participation in government
looks like "rule from the gutter."
Notwithstanding this unfavorable
opinion, in which all the big press
agrees, however, their own rule would
be a great deal better for these so
called gutterpups.
Listen Beet Growers
ITO THE SUGAR BEET GROWERS
OF MONTANA:
In the fall of 1914, Montana sugar
beet growers sent a committee to Den
ver, Cole., to attend an Interstate
Conference of the producers of that
important crop. That committee made
a very favorable impression. It was
composed of able, fair-minded men.
Their work did much for the cause
of the industry not only in their own
Montana, but in the other states in
terested. Since then the interstate
* relation has continued and Montana
growers have received material ad
vances along with other states.
During the coming winter many
conferences of beet growers will be
held, the first at Greeley, Colo., Dec.
9th and 10. This will be attended by
representatives from Utah, Idaho,
Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and
Colorado. At present writing it is
not known whether Montana will be
represented in person by delegates,
chiefly because of the shortness of
the period between decision of hold
ing the meeting and the date, but this
is only the first of a series of such
meetings and Montana growers will
have full opportunity to be hard.
It is believed that the MONTANA
NONPARTISAN will be the
best medium through which to
reach the different districts in Mon
tana where beets are grown, so its
readers are invited to follow the work
of the INTERSTATE BEET GROW
ERS' ASSOCIATION FOR THE
NEXT TWO MONTS.
The Great Western Sugar Company
has 16 sugar factories, in Colorado,
10; Nebraska, 3; Montana, 2; and
Wyoming, 1. Therefore the beet
growers of those states work in close
harmony to secure a fair share of the
profits. FARMERS THROUGH OR
GANIZATION HAVE RAISED THE
PRICE OF BEETS FROM $5.00 IN
1909 TO $10.00 PER TON IN 1918.
THE SUGAR COMPANY GETS AP
PROXIMATELY $30.00 FOR THE
PRODUCTS OF A TON OF BEETS,
SO CAN AFFORD TO PAY MON
TANA GROWERS $15.00 PER TON
FOR THE 1919 CROP. That's worth
fighting for. Montana growers should
back up their organization.
ALBERT DAKAN,
Chairman Educational Committee.
Langmont, Cole.
NOT A FRIEND
OF THE LEAGUE
The Leader is in receipt of a letter
from C. O. Berdahl, cashier of the
Minnehaha State Bank of Garretson,
S. D., in which he explains that it
was himself, and not J. O. Berdahl,
the League candidate, who was elect
ed to the legislature from that county.
He also says that he is not now and
never has been friendly to the League.
We are glad that Mr. Berdahl has
notified us of this correction and
stated his position because we want
to keep the record straight, and also
because we think it well for the Lea
gue farmers to know who their
friends are and that they will have
no reason to expect any help from C.
O. Berdahl in getting through legisla
tion in the interest of the farmers
Mr. Berdahl also states in his letter
that the voters in his county have
"shown conclusively that they would
have nothing to do with the Nonpar
tisan League program." We are at
a loss to know by what process of
reasoning Mr. Berdahbl arrives at this
conclusion, when the republican plat
form upon which he was running con
tained practically all of the demands
and planks of the League program.
The tone of Mr. Berdahl's letter
indicates that he has no use for the
League principles, and it practically
amounts to an advance notice that he
will be ready to repudiate his own
party platform containing the same
principles. His attitude and that of
practically all of the republican can
didates proves conclusively that these
ideas were camouflage put into their
platform to deceive the voters and
that they have no notion of carrying
them out.
Banker Berdahl is no doubt one of
those consistent (?) fellows who
think it is a fine thing for bankers
to organize, but an evidence of crimi
nality and pro-Germanism for farm
ers and laboring men to organize and
discuss their own problems.
WILL HO4STEINS GOT
No more Holsteins in England!
Startling but true; for at a recent
meeting of the British Friesian Cat
tle society the name Holstein was
dropped. Hereafter Holstein-Fries
ian dairy cattle will be known as Frie
sians there. It is unfortunate that
in Canada and the United States the
German name "Holstein" still has to
be attached to a breed which the Hol
landers developed. New Zealanders
call the cattle "Friesians" and South
African breeders call them Frieslands.
Why not call them "Liberty" cattle
in America?
We print the above with apologies
to our readers, simply to show, how
utterly lost to a sense of humor pee
ple can become when they allow man
ufactured hate to run away with them.
We cannot give credit where it is due,
as the clipping was sent us without
mentioning the name of the publica
tion. Maybe our correspondent took
pity and refrained.-Editor.
The only excuse for the present
wasteful methods of marketing farm
products is that in the beginning the
people didn't know any better ways.
Now that we have gotten wise, we
find vast vested interests in these
abuses fighting with might and maia
to prevent us from applying our
knowledge.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
REPORT ALL IN ORDER
AFTER INVESTIGATION
The financial affairs and the books, records and accounts of the
Nonpartisan league have been efficiently and accurately kept, and
all receipts and expenditures carefully accounted and vouched for.
The committee of the national meeting at St. Paul last week, which
examined the records of the League on behalf of the meeting, was able
to trace down every item with ease, and by only two days' work was
able to render a full and complete report to the meeting.
One farmer committeeman from each state of the 18 in which the
League is working was on the auditing committee, and the committee
employed a firm of independent licensed accountants to aid them in
checking up the books as they had been kept by the League account
ants.
After this thorough investigation the committee rendered the fol
lowing report, which was uaniamously adopted by the meeting:
The Committee on Audit and Account has made an investigation
of the books of account and gone over the Public Accounts Audit
Report and takes leave to report:
1. The Committee' consisted of one member each from the fol
lowing thirteen states:
North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin,
Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Washington, Iowa and
Texas. These were all of the states represented. The Committeeman
in each case was a member of the State Committee of the state repre
sented by him and a delegate to the meeting of the National Com
mittee.
2. The work of the Committee has undertaken has covered the
following:
An examination has been made of the method of accounting cash
received, from the inception of the receipt of money from the mem
berships taken to its deposit in the banks. We investigated the meth
od of filing vouchers, organisers' reports, etc., the disbursement of
funds by countersignatures, the proper approval of all expense ac
counts and other expenditure. The result of the investigation of re
ceipts and expenditures is: That the bookkeepiag provides adequate
accounting for the national office, each state o fice and on down to
the direct personal account of each one of the two hundred thousand
or more members, showing in the case of each member his record of
payments, delay and failure to make good under his contract; that
the statement of affairs of the national office and each state can be
set forth at once and at any time; that we can not conceive of how
the method of accounting could be improved upon.
3. We examined the auditor's report, comparing the same with
the statements of Thomas N. Keys, Treasurer, setting forth a com
plete statement of receipts and expenditures from the beginning of
the organization, May 1, 1915 to October 31, 1918, and found that in
each instance the items in the auditor's report and the treasurer's
statement were found to check.
Your committee examined and made a tabulation of the receipts
and expenditures of the various states, and comparing these with the
statements of the national office they were found in agreement with
both the auditor's report and the treasurer's statement of receipts
and expenditures.
The auditor's report covered a complete investigation and a
thorough audit of all the books of account, state reports, organizers'
reports, vouchers for all expenditures, cancelled checks and bank
statements and everything was fomnd in agreement, all receipts ac
counted for and expenditures authorized.
4 The Committee found all employes handling funds are
adequately bonded and all personal property belonging to the League
properly insured.
5. The method of countersigning of checks and approval gf
vouchers for expenses and disbursements protects the League com
pletely against misapplication of funds and against extravagant or
unauthorized expenditures.
6. The Committee especially examined the personal salary and
expense account and all funds handled by Mr. A. C. Townley, presi
dent of the National Nonpartisan league. Both his salary and his
personal expenses are found to be normal only and are insignificant
when compared with "Big Business" salaries for services and res
ponsibility in any way comparable to the work performed by Mr.
Townley in behalf of the Leasgue.
. The Committee made every inquiry which could occur to the Com
mittee concerning the affairs of the League, its receipts, its expendi
tures, salaries paid, and in connection therewith all necessary records
were produced for our inspection, and every inquiry was promptly
and satisfactorily answered and every opportunity given for obtaining
the fullest information on every topic suggested by us.
The Equitable Audit Company of Minneapolis and St Paul made
the audit and report on the accounts. This company is regularly
chartered under the laws of Minnesota and makes a specialty of
services for farmer organizations and for a series of years has done
more work for farmers' companies in the northwest than all other
chartered auditing concerns combined.
The audit was conducted in person by the president of the com
pany, Mr. W. W. Thatcher, who declared that he knew of no under
taking where the organization of accounts and the accuracy and ef
ficiency of the work was more carefully done or more readily checked
up as against errors or miscounduct than is true of this League. He
especially commended the work rof Thomas N. Keys, the treasurer,
and Mr. Fred Miller, cashier, who are responsible for keeping the ac
counts and handling the funds of the League. Mr. Thatcher has
regularly audited the League's accounts from the beginning. He fur
ther stated that he knew of no system of accounting which would en
able one more readily to learn the conditions of the whole organiza
tion and of all its departments down to each individual orgaanzer or
each individual member at all comparable with the method followed
by the Leasue.
The Committee, therefore, u.animously report that it is fully
convinced, as the result of a complete and careful lnvestigation, as
stated above, that every dollar is accurately accounted for and hon
estly and efficiently used for the purpose for which these funds are
provided.
Respectfully submitted by
T. A. WELP, Iowa,
E. D. PAQUIN, Minnesota,
NATHAN Gj ORSUO, South Dakota.
E. E. WRIGHT, Texas,'
W. H. JOHNSON, Oklhoma,
J. I. CAILL, North Dakota,
J. M. COLLINS, Colorado,
0. M. TRONAAS, Idaho,
J. L. FREEMAN, Washminte,
J. L. COATES, Kanss,
E. J. ONSTAD, Wisconsin,
R. J. WHITAKER, Montana,
J. D. REAM, Nebraska,
Oommults.
THE NEW EXCUSE.
It looks as if many who hoped the
ending of the war would mean a
speedy return of free speech, free as
semblage and democratic law enforce
ment, are doomed to disappointment.
The facts of the case did not warrant
this hope and recent arrests in New
York City and elsewhere bear this
out.
The suppression of free speech and
free assemblage and the mob vio
lence such as we have had in the
Northwest against the Nonpartisan
league were at no time caused by the
war. The war has been merely the
occasion which the special interests
have used to fight popular opposition.
The old gang leaders in such states
as Minnesota have at no time really
believed that league leaders or mem
bers were disloyal. They fought the
league with these weapons because
the league was very close to political
success and therefore very dangerous
to them. Most of the more extreme
elements have also been persecuted
not because the scene-shifters ever
thought these people were' pro-kaiser
or anti-democratic, but because the
war looked like a good occasion to
make an end of independent thought
and independent action.
Unfortunately for the special in
terests, this independence which they
hate has grown during the war. The
hard times of the poor, the unsur
passed profiteering, the propaganda
of the independents have opened
many more minds. The nation seethes
with a desire for change. Conse
quently the cause, the real cause for
suppression is stronger .than ever.
All that is needed is a new occasion.
The special interests have already
invented this new occasion. They have
been building it for enarly a year.
By one-sided news, by harrowing
tales of atrocities they have made a
new terror to take the place of the
Hun called "bolshevism." Now, what
evr bolshevism may mean in Russia,
and we know little or nothing of Rus
sia for the last year because of the
censorship and the interventionist
propaganda, in America it will mean
any one opposing the special inter
ests. Any means of suppressing it
after they have attached it to their
opponents would be considered justi
fied.
The issue is here. We must meet it.
The most effective way perhaps is to
show the foolishness of the new
trick. If enough of our people think
right, the plutocrats can not do any
thing.
FOUND-! THE
HUN AT HOME
Loyalty League
Please Get Busy
(Courtesy, Butte Bulletin)
Speaking of that modern barbari
an, the Hun, it might be well to keep
in mind that Germany has by no
means an absolute monopoly on the
critter. We here in America know
something of the "beast," as Judge
Ben Lindsay has feelingly classified
the domestic species. While our
thoughts are directed to the atroci
ties committed by the "Beast of Ber
lin," let us not forget entirely the
fiendish exploits of the Hun at home.
The scramble for pelf and power has
ever been marked by acts of "fright
fulness," indulgence in which, the
Hohenzollerns, Hindenburgs and Von
Bissings are but a short jump in ad
vance of some of their close imitators
here in our own country. This may
sound like exaggeration, but if we
hark back to the memorable happen
ings at Homestead, Hazelton, Lati
mere, Cabin Creek, Calumet, Butte
and Ludlow, we will be forced to ad
mit the existence of the Hun spirit
within our own borders. If we al
low our minds to dwell on the count
less mine horrors, the inhuman condi
tions forced upon the workers, espe
cially in the steel industry; the heart
less sweating of women and chil
dren, the callous disregard for hu
man life, what better evidence can
we ask for Hun activities. However,
there is further evidence, if we but
consider the numerous and savage
outrages that the workers have been
the victims of in the deportations,
manhandlings, blacklistings and oth
er coercive knoutings to which they
have been subjected at the hands of
our industrial kaisers.
War Rough Stuff.
The war, while responsible for a lot
of additional rough stuff, is, on the
other hand, responsible for the soft
pedal on some of the vicious practices
hitherto indulged in. Of course, this
is not to be understood as meaning
that "big business" has laid by for all
time those weapons used to enforce
their demands, nor that their action
in laying them aside, even temporar
rily, was due to any conscientious
scruples. Nothing like that, for,
while they assume to respond to the
demands of the government to lay
off, they have been hard put to hide
their resentment, and in some in
stances have openly defied govern
ment orders. Witness the action of
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company.
The war labor board had handed
down a decision upholding the right
of employes to organise and order
ing the reinstatement of those dis
charged for union activities. But
this did not jibe with the ideas of
the lordly B. R. T., who proceed to
hire and fire as per usual. Result,
strike, strikebreakers, a crash in the
tunnel; some 200 persons killed or
wounded; motorman responsible for
the crash missing; "company got him
out of the way," says district attor
ney in charge of the investgation.
Big Business Methods.
The latter incident is one closely
NORTH DAKOTA
AMENDMENTS
Bismarck, N. D., Dec. 6.-(Spe
cial.)-On the face of the official
"county abstracts of votes from all but
Morton and McLean counties the ten
proposed constitutional amendments
have secured unbeatable majorities of
all votes cast at the general election.
The abstracts were opened before the
state canvassing board at its meeting
today.
No Official Co.putation
While neither the secretary of state
nor the canvassing board have at
tempted to compute the totals, a Cour
ier-News representative was able to
get the following figures from the
available returns from 51 counties.
The total number of male votes was
86,958. Assuming that the majority
of this number or 43,480 is necessary
to win, this is how the ten measures
turned the trick: No. one 506,752; No.
two 60,407; No. three 69,486; No. four
49,218; No. five 43,519; No. six 48,758;
No. seven 44,254g; No. eight 58,702;
No. nine 48,697, and No. ten 44,182.
Awaiting Soldier Votes.
The canvassing board has agreed to
adjourn from day to day for a suf
ficient length of time to allow the
soldier vote to be canvassed. Meet
ings must be held daily and adjourn
ed in order to meet the provisions of
the law. The soldiers vote which has
been variously estimated up to 15,000
is extremely light. It is doubtful if
more than 500 soldiers have sent in
their ballots. On the returns now in
the secretary of state's hands less
than 100 have voted. Burleigh county
which has 750 soldiers in the service
polled seven such votes. Rolette coun
ty six, and Richland county 1.
Governor Frazier, the league can
didates and the ten amendments se
cured majorities in the Golden state.
Later Dispatch.
Bismarck, N. D., Dec. 9.-Voting
three to two on the seven proposed
constitution amendments initiated by
the Nonpartisan league, and approv
ing unAntmously the three amend
ments referred to the voters by the
last legislature, the state canvassing
board, today, declared all the mea
sures adopted and passed.
Secretary of State Hall and State
Treasurer John Steen formed the mi
nority which opposed the adoption of
the initiative amendments.
The three amendments referred to
the voters for adoption-the hail in
surance amendment, that giving cor
porations the right to limit the voting
power of stockholders, and that pro
viding that four judges of the su
preme court must concur in any de
cision regarding the constitution
immediately become part of the con
stitution of the state.
The other seven measures will go
before the legislature at the coming
session for adoption by that body.
connected with "big business" meth
ods, one that has done service on many
similar occasions when prosecution
threatened. As, for instance, affairs
of a concern or corporation calls for
investigation. The books are found
to be missing. Certain employes are
wanted; they, too have disappeared.
Executive heads are cited; word is
returned, "in Europe," "On the con
tinent," "Somewhere in Siam." And
for years and years the people of
America have stood for this sort of
thing, while discussing the wrongs
and sufferings of others. But there
is something at present in the Ameri
can attitude toward kaisers, junkers
and pretenders of all sorts that leads
us to feel that the business of these
gentry is at an end. It will be the
business of the German people in the
days to some to make short shift of
their sword-rattling advocates of
things hunnish. It will be likewise
the business of the American people
to hobble and hogtie their no less
hunnish clan that have rode ram
pant over the people and the laws
with all the bandon of their near
cousins, the Prussian Junkers.-New
England Leader.
TOWN AND COUNTRY.
Some newspapers are still worrying
their heads about the organization of
the farmers, declaring that it is likely
to array country against the city.
As the Herald has before stated, that
will depend entirely on the people of
the cities and towns of the state. If
the business men of the cities and
towns line up to fight the farmers and
try to prevent them from organizing
for their political and industrial bet
terment, as they have in some places,
to be sure there will be bitter feeling
epgendered, and the towns will be the
losers by it. All the farmers ask is
fair treatment all round and just and
equitable market conditions and fa
cilities.-LINCOLN (NEB.) HER
ALD.
"The issue is socialism," they
screamed before election, but the vot
ers had heard the cry of "Wolf, wolf,"
so often that they paid no attention
to the paid clackers and went right
ahead attending to their own business
and voted for the "ten command
ments" and Frasier.-STUTSMAN
COUNTY (N. D.) PRESS.
One serious thought, what sort of a
bonehead is it that will try to make
people believe that the large majority
of the voters of a state like North Da
kota is unpatriotic. There isn't a
state having as large as 10 per cent
of disloyal voters.-BLAINE (WN.)
JOURNAL.
We hate to revive the apparently
moribund Irish question, but can it be
possible that the Czecho-Slovaks are
to get home rule ahead of the Emer
ald Isle?-MORTON COUNTY (N.
D.) FARMERS' PRESS.